Tougher school testing standards set for approval today
The state Board of Education is meeting today to set increased scoring standards for Michigan's public schools. The vote to increase the standards came last February. Today, the board will consider specifics. More from the Associated Press:
The board today is scheduled to consider new so-called "cut scores" for the Michigan Educational Assessment Program tests taken by elementary and middle school students and the Michigan Merit Exam taken by high school students. The board voted in February to raise the scoring standards to better reflect students' preparedness for careers and college. The specific cut score levels could be considered today.
Fewer students in Michigan are expected to be categorized as "proficient" after the cut scores are raised.
Ford CEO worries about consumer demand in Europe amid crisis
Europe's financial crisis is heating up. Paul Krugman, opinion columnist for the New York Times, said of the crisis "this thing could come apart in a matter of days."
The crisis has prompted Ford's European CEO to call for action. From the Associated Press:
Ford Europe CEO Stephen Odell is calling on European politicians to make painful decisions sooner rather than later to help the economy recover from an increasingly volatile financial crisis. Odell said Ford is pressing ahead with new product launches at the Frankfurt Auto Show because the market will need products when the spiraling sovereign debt crisis clears and consumer confidence is restored... Odell told reporters on the sidelines Tuesday that politicians have so far not been able to resolve the issue, and urged them to apply even painful remedies "quickly and robustly."
Get ready for crisp, cold weather this week
It might be time to break out the coats. A blast of arctic air is coming our way. The Weather Underground's Shaun Tanner says a storm will move through the state later today:
A... storm will move into the Great Lakes region late in the day, renewing rain and even the slightest chance of early season snow in the Upper Midwest. The... storms will precede a blast of Arctic air that will stream into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. This Arctic air will not be as cold as in the Winter, but a definite cooling trend will sweep through much of the northern tier of the country during the second half of the week.
